Wyoming Teachers Join U.S. Marines Educators’ Workshop

Chase Olsen from Kelly Walsh High School receives encouragement as he is about to drag his partner, Todd Lattimer of Pathways Innovation Center during a combat fitness exercise at the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot in San Diego on Tuesday. Tom Morton, Townsquare Media

About 55 teachers, counselors, administrators, coaches and journalists from Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas were invited to the U.S. Marine Corp Recruiting Depot (MCRD) in San Diego for the week to learn first-hand how Marines are made during the Educators’ Workshop.

About 10 are from Casper, Sheridan and Gillette.

“I’m here to learn what the Marines do and what we can offer to our kids and give them an opportunity,” Campbell County High School Principal Scott Arthun said.

“My dad was a Marine, and I’m excited to bring back information to kids who would really benefit from a program like this,” said Tammy Finch, a teacher at Kelly Walsh High School. “I think it could change their lives.”

In five days, they will see a snapshot of the 13-week basic training from when recruits get off the bus at the MCRD, step on the yellow feet to declare their identities as recruits, surrender personal items, have their heads shaved, call their mothers to let them know they arrived, get measured U.S. Marines, recruits, San Diego, Camp Pendleton, weapons, issued clothes, fill out paperwork, and loudly learn to start every statement with “yes sir” and end that statement with “yes sir.”

They get yelled at a lot, too. DID I SAY THEY GET YELLED AT A LOT??? Yes sir, I did.

But they will learn basics about the Corps, created in 1775, and how it is the “nation’s crisis response force” and “force in readiness,” according to its website.

Tuesday they toured a state-of-the-art medical rehabilitation facility; took a combat fitness test including an 880-meter sprint, an ammo can lift (115 lifts in 120 seconds), and obstacle course of running, crawling, picking up and dragging a partner, running with ammo cans, throwing a mock grenade, and a few pushups for relief; learned some of the basics of close-in combat such as how to use a bayonet.

Wednesday, they are scheduled to visit the Marine Corps Air Station.

Thursday, they receive instruction on weapons and live-fire experience.

Friday, they will attend the graduation ceremony during which the recruits become Marines.